The Pot Maker Class 9: Summary, Characters and Questions
Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked
The Pot Maker by Temsula Ao, Unit 2 of Kaveri, is about Sentila, a village girl who longs to make pots like her mother Arenla, though Arenla wants her to weave. Guided by Onula and by watching her mother, Sentila masters the craft on the day Arenla dies. A traditional skill passes to a new generation.
What The Pot Maker is about
The Pot Maker is an abridged short story by Temsula Ao, the prose piece of Unit 2 (theme: honouring vocations) in Kaveri. Sentila dreams of becoming a potter like her mother and grandmother. Her mother, Arenla, refuses to teach her because pot making is hard, messy and poorly paid; she would rather Sentila learnt weaving. The village council reminds the family that such skills belong to the community and must be handed down. Sentila fails for a year under her mother, but a kind dormitory matron, Onula, gives her confidence, and careful observation teaches her the rest. On the day Arenla leaves her alone in the shed, Sentila makes almost as many pots as her mother, and Arenla dies that same day. The story ends: 'A new pot maker was born.'
In the R1 paper, a prose extract (Q10, 5 marks) may come from this story; it also suits 2-mark short answers (40-50 words) and 5-mark long answers (120-150 words) on character, tradition and perseverance. The unit's grammar covers noun clauses, relative clauses and determiners, all in the Class 9 grammar syllabus.
Weightage: Class 9 English is a school examination of 80 marks, but CBSE prescribes the paper design. Section C (Literature, 30 marks) in R1: one prose/drama extract and one poetry extract (5 marks each), five of six short answers (40-50 words, 2 marks each) and two long answers (about 120-150 words, 5 marks each). R2 has three extracts, five of seven short answers and one long answer.Source: CBSE English Language syllabus, Class IX 2026-27, Question Paper Design R1 and R2
The Pot Maker: summary
In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.
Part I: a forbidden dream. From early childhood Sentila wants to be a pot maker like her mother and grandmother. Arenla wants her to weave. Sentila secretly visits expert potters, who are amused at first and think she will outgrow the passion. She hides her interest because she once overheard her mother complain: the clay comes from a riverbank sixteen kilometres away, down a steep drop; carrying it uphill hurts her back; pounding the clay is tedious; months of labour bring only a few rupees. Weaving, Arenla says, pays more, is cleaner, can be done indoors in all seasons and takes less time.
Watching the craft. Sentila keeps watching the potters: how they pound the clay with water, push the left hand into the lump, rotate it and shape it with a spatula, and how the pots are dried and fired in a kiln on hay and bamboo. The 'tap, tap' of the spatula is music to her. Arenla knows of these visits but pretends not to.
The village council. Villagers gossip about why Arenla will not teach her daughter. The council summons Sentila's father, Mesoba, who humbly says they only wanted Sentila to grow stronger after an illness. The elders remind him that skills such as pot making carry the tradition and history of the people and do not belong to any individual; experts must pass them on to anyone who wishes to learn.
Part II: failure, then help. The next year Arenla teaches Sentila to dig, carry, soak and pound the clay, but Sentila cannot shape a pot. For almost a year she fails while her mother silently watches and then finishes the pot herself. At the girls' dormitory, Onula, a kind widow, sees Sentila's tense, clumsy attempt, shows her how to make a pot and gives her new confidence. Sentila makes a beautiful pot, but Onula says the mouth is wrong and tells her to watch her mother closely. Sentila studies how Arenla shapes the mouth and adds the rim.
The last day. One sunny day Arenla makes a batch, complains of a headache and backache, and leaves Sentila to continue. Sentila works like a sprinter who has found momentum and makes one pot short of her mother's tally. Going in for lunch, she finds Arenla lying dead. At the funeral Sentila cries that she did not wish it to happen this way. Onula enters the shed and sees two rows of pots so alike that she cannot tell one batch from the other, though she is sure they are not the work of one person alone, and feels she has witnessed a profound revelation.
Central idea: A traditional skill is a living inheritance that passes from one generation to the next through passion, patient practice, guidance and observation. Though Arenla resisted, the craft finally flowed from her to her daughter.
Themes and message
Passing on traditional skills
The village council says skills like pot making do not belong to any individual and must be passed on. The ending dramatises this: the mother's skill seems to pass into the daughter on the very day the mother dies. The two identical rows of pots stand for continuity between generations.
From the text: 'did not ‘belong’ to any individual' and 'A new pot maker was born.'
Passion and perseverance
Sentila keeps her dream alive against her mother's wishes, watches potters in secret and keeps trying after a year of failure. Her success comes from long, patient effort, not a sudden gift. The story shows that passion must be joined with practice.
From the text: 'The regular tap, tap of the spatula on the clay was music to her ears' and 'These sessions continued for almost a year'.
Dignity and hardship of a vocation
Arenla's complaint shows the real cost of craft work: long walks, heavy loads, tedious pounding and little money. The unit asks us to honour such vocations. The story does not hide the hardship; it shows why parents may want an easier life for their children.
From the text: 'it has brought no joy to me and only a pittance for my troubles'
Learning through guidance and observation
Sentila learns by watching the potters, by Onula's encouragement and by closely observing her mother's hands. Onula's words 'watch her carefully' turn failure into success. The story suggests that confidence and careful observation are as important as instruction.
From the text: 'I shall teach you how to make a perfect pot.' and 'When you work with your mother next time, watch her carefully'
Community and individual
The village council steps into a family's decision because a craft affects everyone. The gossip, the summons and the elders' warning show that in a traditional community, individual choices about skills are also social duties.
From the text: 'experts were obliged to pass on their skills not only to their own children but also to anyone who wished to learn'
Characters
Sentila
The young protagonist who dreams of becoming a pot maker.
- Passionate: finds the spatula's tapping 'music to her ears'
- Determined and secretive: visits potters without telling her mother
- Persevering: keeps trying after a year of failure
- Observant and a quick learner: studies her mother's hands
- Sensitive: at the funeral she feels guilty and asks forgiveness
'Sentila approached expert potters to learn the skill'; 'Sentila was a quick learner'; 'Mother, I did not wish it to happen this way'.
Arenla
Sentila's mother, an expert potter who wants her daughter to weave.
- Practical and protective: wants an easier, better-paid life for Sentila
- Skilled: turns a lump into a beautiful pot
- Reserved: pretends not to know about Sentila's visits
- Complex: her final act of leaving Sentila alone seems to let the skill pass on
'I shall not teach her pot making'; 'pretended to be ignorant of them'; 'try and make as many pots as she could'.
Onula
A kind, middle-aged widow who supervises the girls' dormitory and guides Sentila.
- Kind and caring: resolves to help Sentila
- Wise teacher: builds confidence, then points out the faulty mouth
- Intuitive: senses something momentous has happened
'Don't worry, little one'; 'The mouth of the pot is all wrong.'; 'She intuitively sensed that something momentous had happened.'
Mesoba
Sentila's father, summoned by the village council.
- Humble and respectful before the elders
- Protective of his family's dignity
He replies 'in a humble tone' and promises the elders they will see Sentila making the best pots in the village.
How it is written
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Onomatopoeia | 'The regular tap, tap of the spatula' | The sound brings the craft alive and shows why Sentila hears it as music. |
| Simile | 'like a sprinter who had suddenly found momentum' | Captures the sudden speed and confidence with which Sentila begins to work. |
| Symbolism | The two identical rows of pots | They stand for the skill passing seamlessly from mother to daughter. |
| Question answered at once (hypophora) | 'And the reward? A few rupees.' | Arenla asks the question and answers it herself; the blunt answer stresses how little the hard labour earns. |
| Ambiguous, open ending | Arenla's sudden death on the day Sentila succeeds | Leaves readers to wonder whether Arenla knew; it gives the ending a mysterious, almost spiritual feeling. |
Key quotations
Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.
it has brought no joy to me and only a pittance for my troubles
Arenla: Overheard by Sentila, explaining why she will not teach her pot making.
Shows the hardship and poor reward of the craft, and Arenla's protective motive.
The regular tap, tap of the spatula on the clay was music to her ears
Narrator: Sentila watching expert potters.
Reveals Sentila's deep passion for the craft.
Arenla heard of her daughter’s visits but pretended to be ignorant of them.
Narrator: While Sentila secretly visits the potters.
Suggests Arenla quietly allowed her daughter's interest.
Don’t worry, little one, I shall teach you how to make a perfect pot.
Onula: After Sentila's failed attempt in the dormitory.
Shows Onula's kindness; her encouragement gives Sentila confidence.
like a sprinter who had suddenly found momentum
Narrator: Sentila working alone on the last day.
Marks the moment the skill finally comes to her.
Mother, I did not wish it to happen this way; it simply came to me.
Sentila: As Arenla's body is carried out.
Shows her guilt and her sense that the skill came to her mysteriously.
A new pot maker was born.
Narrator: The last line.
Sums up the story: the craft continues in a new generation.
The Pot Maker in real life
Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Confidence before skill
Suppose you keep failing at a difficult cartwheel in gymnastics because you are nervous, and your coach notices your body is stiff.
How does Onula's insight about Sentila apply to you? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Onula saw Sentila was 'too tense'.
- Tension spoilt the clay; nerves spoil movement.
- Relax, watch a demonstration, try again.
Answer: Onula saw that Sentila failed because she was too tense, not because she lacked talent. My stiffness spoils the cartwheel the same way. If I relax, watch my coach demonstrate and try again calmly, I am more likely to succeed, as Sentila did.
Memory hook: Tense hands, misshapen pots.
Learning by observation
Imagine you are learning to make round rotis from your grandmother, but yours always tear at the edges.
What would Onula advise, and why? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Onula told Sentila to watch her mother shaping the mouth.
- Details like rhythm and hand position matter.
- Watch grandmother's hands at the edges.
Answer: Onula would tell me to watch my grandmother carefully, especially how she rolls the edges, just as Sentila watched how her mother slackened the rhythm at the mouth of the pot. Small details of hand and rhythm make the difference.
Memory hook: Watch the hands, then use your own.
Keeping traditional crafts alive
Suppose the last weaver in your town says no young person wants to learn her craft because it pays too little.
Using the council's view, suggest what the community could do. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Skills belong to the community.
- Experts should teach anyone willing.
- Community must also ensure fair pay and buyers.
Answer: Like the council, the community should treat her skill as shared heritage. The school could hold workshops with her, and local shops and online stores could sell the cloth at fair prices, so young people see that the craft can be both honoured and paid.
Memory hook: A skill shared is a skill saved.
Topics in this chapter
How the school exam asks The Pot Maker
The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.
| Question type | How it is asked | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Prose extract (Q10 in R1, 5 marks) | Extracts such as Arenla's complaint or Onula's help, with five parts: choose a reason for an assertion, why Arenla prefers weaving, the meaning of a word as used ('handsome', 'fashioned'), cause and effect, and how a character felt. | Use the exact sense in context (handsome return = large profit). For feelings, name the emotion and point to a phrase. Keep one-mark answers to one clear sentence. |
| Short answer (Q12, 2 marks, 40-50 words) | The warning given to Mesoba, Sentila's feelings after a year of failure, the meaning of 'A new pot maker was born', Onula's role, or the pot-making process Sentila observed. | Answer directly, then support with one detail. For process questions, keep the order: pound, shape with left hand and spatula, dry, fire in the kiln. |
| Long answer on character or theme (Q14, 5 marks, 120-150 words) | Character sketch of Sentila or Arenla; perseverance in pursuing one's dreams; passing on tradition. | Trace change: secret passion, failure, help, success. Use two or three short quotations and end with the message. |
| Extrapolation (Q13, 5 marks, 120-150 words) | Should children follow their parents' traditional vocations? How can dying crafts be saved? Compare Sentila's journey with another learner in Kaveri. | Give a balanced view (passion vs. income), use the council's view and Arenla's complaint, then suggest practical steps. |
| Grammar in context | Noun clauses ('she realised that the pot was ready'), relative clauses ('the riverbank where the grey and red clay was found') and determiners. | Ask what job the clause does: a noun clause answers 'what?', a relative clause describes a noun. |
Tricks to remember The Pot Maker
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
Five steps to a new potter
Dream (secret visits), Duty (council's warning), Defeat (a year of failure), Direction (Onula's advice), Day of the double rows.
Use it when: Order of events for long answers and sequencing tasks.
Who is who
Arenla = Ama (mother); Mesoba = Male (father); Onula = 'Aunty' who helps; Sentila = Student.
Use it when: Avoid mixing up the names.
Arenla's three complaints
Far (16 km), Heavy (back aches), Little (a few rupees).
Use it when: Questions on why Arenla preferred weaving.
Clause test
WHAT? = noun clause; WHICH ONE? = relative clause.
Use it when: Grammar items from the unit.
The Pot Maker: extract-based questions
Read the extract, answer every part on paper, then open the answers.
Extract 1: Arenla's complaint
So many times, I’ve dropped the mould out of sheer exhaustion and have had to start all over again. It takes months to bring out a batch of pots after so much labour. And the reward? A few rupees.
(1) · 1 mark · MCQ
The speaker says that pounding the stubborn clay inside bamboo cylinders to soften it is 'tedious'. The word 'tedious' means:
(a) exciting
(b) tiring and dull
(c) dangerous
(d) quick(2) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Why does the speaker sometimes drop the mould?
(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
What is the purpose of the question 'And the reward?'
(a) to ask for information
(b) to stress bitterly how little the work earns
(c) to show confusion
(d) to change the subject(4) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Fill in the blank: The speaker feels the effort in pot making is far ________ (less / greater) than its returns.
(5) · 1 mark · Short answer
Who is the speaker, and what does she want her daughter to learn instead?
Show the answersAnswers
- (b) tiring and dull
- Out of sheer exhaustion.
- (b) to stress bitterly how little the work earns
- greater
- Arenla, Sentila's mother; she wants Sentila to learn weaving.
Extract 2: Onula's lesson
When Sentila wearily let the misshapen lump fall flat on the ground, Onula went to her and said, “Don’t worry, little one, I shall teach you how to make a perfect pot.”
(1) · 1 mark · Very short answer
Just before this, Onula watches Sentila's clumsy efforts and notices that she is too tense, so that 'the clay seemed unable or unwilling to yield the right shape'. Why were Sentila's efforts clumsy?
(2) · 1 mark · MCQ
(See the context given in the first question.) 'the clay seemed unable or unwilling to yield the right shape' is an example of:
(a) simile
(b) personification
(c) alliteration
(d) onomatopoeia(3) · 1 mark · MCQ
Onula's words show that she was:
(a) strict and impatient
(b) kind and encouraging
(c) proud and boastful
(d) jealous and unkind(4) · 1 mark · Very short answer
The word 'wearily' means ________ (angrily / tiredly).
(5) · 1 mark · Short answer
How might Sentila have felt when the misshapen lump fell flat?
Show the answersAnswers
- Because she was too tense.
- (b) personification
- (b) kind and encouraging
- tiredly
- Frustrated and disheartened, as if all her efforts were useless.
The Pot Maker: exam-level solved questions
Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.
Example 1: The council's warning · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
What warning did the village council give Mesoba? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Remind Arenla of her duty to teach the inherited skill.
- Such skills carry tradition and history and belong to no individual.
- Experts must pass them to anyone who wishes to learn.
Answer: The council told Mesoba to remind Arenla that it was her duty to teach Sentila the skill handed down over generations. Skills like pot making carry the people's tradition and history, do not belong to any individual, and must be passed on to anyone who wishes to learn.
Example 2: A year of failure · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
How did Sentila feel when she failed at pot making even after a year with her mother, and what changed things? Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- She hung her head in shame and frustration.
- Her mother silently finished the pots herself.
- Onula's encouragement and the advice to watch her mother changed things.
Answer: Sentila felt ashamed and frustrated, hanging her head while her mother silently turned the lump into a beautiful pot. Things changed when Onula calmed her tension, showed her how to make a pot and advised her to watch her mother's hands closely.
Example 3: Onula in the shed · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
'Onula stood there for a long time as if trying to absorb a new phenomenon.' Explain. Answer in 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- She saw two identical rows of pots.
- She could not tell one batch from the other.
- She felt the mother's skill had passed to the daughter: a 'profound revelation'.
Answer: In the shed Onula saw two rows of newly made pots so alike that she could not tell one batch from the other. She realised Sentila had matched her mother's skill on the day Arenla died, and she felt she had witnessed a profound, almost mysterious revelation.
Example 4: Character sketch of Sentila · 5 marks · Long answerHarder exam level
Write a character sketch of Sentila in about 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Passion from early childhood; tapping as music.
- Determination: secret visits to potters.
- Perseverance through a year of failure; shame and frustration.
- Quick, observant learner: follows Onula's advice.
- Success and sensitivity: one short of mother's tally; asks forgiveness.
- Conclusion: a true inheritor of the craft.
Answer: Sentila is a passionate and determined girl. From early childhood she dreams of becoming a pot maker like her mother and grandmother, and the 'tap, tap' of the spatula is music to her ears. Because her mother wants her to weave, she secretly visits expert potters and watches every step of their work. Her path is not easy. For almost a year she fails to shape a single pot and hangs her head in shame. Yet she does not give up. When Onula gives her confidence and tells her to observe her mother, she watches carefully and learns quickly. On the last day she works like a sprinter, making one pot short of her mother's tally. She is also sensitive, begging her dead mother's forgiveness. Sentila shows that passion and perseverance make a true craftsperson.
Example 5: Was Arenla against her daughter? · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Do you think Arenla was really against Sentila becoming a pot maker? Give reasons from the story in about 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Openly: refuses because of hardship and pittance; prefers weaving.
- But she pretends to be ignorant of the visits.
- She does teach Sentila the next year.
- On the last day she leaves Sentila alone to make pots.
- Judgement: protective love, not opposition; the ending suggests a quiet handing over.
Answer: On the surface Arenla opposes her daughter. She says she will not teach her because pot making brought her 'no joy' and only a 'pittance', and she wants Sentila to weave. But her actions suggest something softer. She hears of Sentila's visits to the potters yet 'pretended to be ignorant of them'. After the council's reminder, she takes Sentila to the riverbank and teaches her patiently for a year. On her last day she makes a batch, complains of pain and leaves Sentila alone to make as many pots as she can. Whether she sensed her end or not, she gives her daughter the space to succeed. In my view Arenla was never truly against Sentila; she feared a hard life for her. Her opposition was protective love, and in the end she let the craft pass on.
Example 6: Passion or pay? · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Suppose your cousin wants to become a professional tabla player, but her parents say it pays too little and want her to study accountancy. Drawing on The Pot Maker, what advice would you give? Answer in about 120-150 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Parents' worry is like Arenla's: hardship and poor pay.
- Sentila's passion and perseverance led to mastery.
- Council's view: skills and traditions must be kept alive.
- Suggest a balance: training, a backup plan, honest talk.
- Conclusion.
Answer: I would first tell my cousin that her parents' worry is real. Arenla also refused to teach Sentila pot making because it brought 'only a pittance' for heavy labour. Parents want security for their children. But The Pot Maker also shows the power of passion. Sentila kept watching, practising and failing until she could match her mother's pots, and the village council said such skills must not be lost. So I would advise my cousin to talk honestly with her parents, show them her commitment through regular practice and exam grades in music, and perhaps keep a second skill as a backup. Her parents could then see that her passion is serious. Like Sentila, she should not give up her dream, but she should support it with hard work and a sensible plan.
Where the marks are
How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.
What is the significance of the last line, 'A new pot maker was born'? Answer in 40-50 words. (2 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: Sentila has mastered the craft (pots identical to her mother's); the skill passes to the next generation as Arenla dies. | 1 |
| Expression: clear, concise answer within the limit. | 1 |
What is the role of perseverance in pursuing one's dreams? Elaborate with reference to Sentila (120-150 words). (5 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: secret passion and visits despite opposition. | 1 |
| Content: a year of failure, shame and frustration, not giving up; help from Onula and observation. | 1 |
| Content: final success and a concluding link to life. | 1 |
| Expression: organised, connected paragraph. | 1 |
| Accuracy: grammar, spelling and correct quotations. | 1 |
Where students lose marks in The Pot Maker
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Saying Arenla wanted Sentila to study or marry
Guessing the alternative.
Wrong working
Arenla wanted Sentila to go to school instead.
Right working
Arenla wanted Sentila to learn weaving.
Do this: Remember: weaving pays more and can be done indoors.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Saying Onula is Sentila's aunt by relation
'Onula' means Aunty, a term of respect.
Wrong working
Onula, Sentila's aunt, taught her.
Right working
Onula, the widow who supervised the girls' dormitory, guided her.
Do this: Note the role: dormitory supervisor.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Claiming Sentila caused her mother's death
Misreading Sentila's guilt.
Wrong working
Sentila killed her mother by taking her place.
Right working
Sentila feels guilty, but the story leaves the link mysterious; Arenla dies after complaining of headache and backache.
Do this: Use 'seems' or 'suggests' when interpreting the ending.
Usually costs: Content marks in long answers.
Mistake: Saying Sentila made more pots than her mother
Careless reading.
Wrong working
Sentila made more pots than Arenla.
Right working
She made 'just one short of her mother's tally'.
Do this: One short = one fewer.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Practice questions on The Pot Maker
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
How far from the village was the riverbank where the clay was found?
(a) six kilometres
(b) ten kilometres
(c) sixteen kilometres
(d) sixty kilometresHint
Arenla's complaint.
Answer
(c) sixteen kilometres
Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
Describe the process of pot making that Sentila observed. Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Pound, shape, touch up, dry, fire.
Answer
Value points: clay mixed with water and pounded; left hand pushed into the lump while it is rotated; shaped with a spatula; touched up after two or three days; dried in the sun; fired in a kiln on hay and bamboo, carefully tended.
Model answer: The potters mixed clay with water and pounded it, pushed the left hand into the lump and rotated it while shaping it with a spatula. After two or three days the pots were touched up, dried in the sun and fired in a kiln on hay and bamboo.
Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
Why did Sentila not tell her parents about her interest in pot making? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
What did she overhear one night?
Answer
Value points: overheard her mother complaining about her indifference to weaving; mother said she would not teach pot making; feared opposition; so she kept her visits secret.
Model answer: One night Sentila overheard her mother complaining that she was indifferent to weaving and saying she would never teach her pot making. Knowing her mother's strong opposition, Sentila kept her fascination secret and visited the potters only when her parents were away.
Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Identify the clause in 'Arenla took Sentila to the riverbank where the grey and red clay was found.' and state its type.
Hint
It describes a noun.
Answer
'where the grey and red clay was found' is a relative (adjective) clause describing 'the riverbank'.
Q5 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
Fill in suitable determiners: Sentila made ____ pots that day, just one less than ____ mother's tally, and ____ villager was amazed.
Hint
A quantity, a possessive, a distributive.
Answer
many / her / every
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
What is the significance of the two rows of pots that Onula sees in the shed? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think symbol, not just objects.
Answer
Value points: two batches, one by Arenla and one by Sentila; identical; skill passed from mother to daughter; continuity of tradition; 'a new pot maker was born'.
Model answer: The two rows, one made by Arenla and one by Sentila, look identical. They symbolise the skill passing completely from mother to daughter on Arenla's last day. Tradition continues unbroken, which is why Onula sees them as a profound revelation.
Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'Skills such as pot making did not belong to any individual.' Do you agree with the village council? Answer in about 120-150 words.
Hint
Weigh community heritage against personal choice.
Answer
Value points: crafts carry a community's tradition and history; meet people's needs; if experts refuse to teach, skills die; but individuals bear the hardship and deserve fair pay and choice; balance: share skills widely, support artisans; personal view.
Model answer: I largely agree with the council. A craft like pot making is not just a job; it carries the history and identity of a community and meets its daily needs. If every expert refused to teach, as the villagers feared, the skill would disappear. That is why the elders said experts must teach not only their own children but anyone who wishes to learn. However, Arenla's complaint shows that artisans carry the burden: heavy loads, tedious work and a 'pittance' in return. So the community should not only demand that skills be shared, but also support artisans with fair prices and respect. In my view, a skill belongs to everyone, but so does the duty to keep its makers alive and valued.
Q8 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose you could interview Arenla before she died. Frame two questions you would ask her and the answers you think she might give, in about 40-50 words.
Hint
Ask about her refusal and her last day.
Answer
Value points: question on why she refused; question on why she left Sentila alone; answers consistent with the text (fear of hardship; quiet wish to let her succeed).
Model answer: Q: Why did you refuse to teach Sentila? A: I feared she would suffer as I did for a pittance. Q: Why did you leave her alone that day? A: Perhaps it was time she worked without my eyes on her.
Q9 · 5 marks · Long answerExam level
Writing task: Write a reflective piece (about 150 words) on a skill you are passionate about and whether it could become your profession, following the unit's five steps.
Hint
Introduction, skills, passion into profession, examples, conclusion.
Answer
Value points: introduction naming the passion and why it matters; how you nurture it (classes, practice, projects); which skills could become a career and why; one anecdote; conclusion on what you learnt about yourself. Language: first person, reflective tone, varied sentences.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Who wrote The Pot Maker?Show answer
Temsula Ao.
2.What craft did Arenla want Sentila to learn?Show answer
Weaving.
3.What is Sentila's father's name?Show answer
Mesoba.
4.What colours of clay are found at the riverbank?Show answer
Grey and red.
5.What tool is used to dig the clay?Show answer
A dao.
6.What does 'Onula' mean?Show answer
Aunty.
7.What did Onula say was wrong with Sentila's first pot?Show answer
The mouth.
8.How many pots did Sentila make compared with her mother?Show answer
One short of her mother's tally.
Quick revision checklist
The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?
- Can you give Arenla's three reasons against pot making?
- Can you describe the pot-making process in five steps?
- Can you state the council's warning in two sentences?
- Can you explain how Onula helped Sentila?
- Can you explain the symbol of the two rows of pots?
- Can you argue whether Arenla truly opposed her daughter?
- Can you spot a noun clause and a relative clause in the story?
The Pot Maker: frequently asked questions
Who wrote The Pot Maker?
Temsula Ao. The Class 9 Kaveri textbook gives an abridged version of her story in Unit 2.
Why did Arenla not want Sentila to become a pot maker?
Pot making was exhausting and poorly paid: the clay came from far away, carrying it hurt her back, pounding was tedious and months of work earned a few rupees. Weaving paid more, was cleaner and could be done indoors.
What did the village council tell Mesoba?
That Arenla had a duty to teach her daughter the skill handed down over generations, because skills like pot making carry the people's tradition and history, do not belong to any individual and must be passed on to anyone who wishes to learn.
How did Onula help Sentila?
She noticed Sentila was too tense, showed her how to make a pot and gave her confidence. Then she pointed out that the mouth was wrong and told her to watch her mother carefully when shaping it.
What does 'A new pot maker was born' mean?
It means Sentila has become a true potter. On the day her mother dies, she makes pots matching her mother's, so the craft passes on to the next generation.
Why did Sentila ask her dead mother to forgive her?
She seems to feel that her success and her mother's death were linked, and she felt guilty, saying the skill 'simply came to me'. The story leaves the link mysterious.
Based on: CBSE English Language syllabus, Class IX 2026-27 (R1 and R2); NCERT Kaveri, Textbook of English for Grade 9 (First Edition 2026), Unit 2: The Pot Maker